High nitrates

talon · Jun 20, 2016

Hello everyone. I have not posted anything in a long time. Just a quick background 9 months ago I upgraded from a 90 gallon to a 265 gallon. I never had great luck with corals but learned a lot reading and experimenting. My tank has been up for 9 months with some fish an snowflake eel and now trying some corals. I have a 50 gallon dump with protein skimmer and a few weeks ago set up a separate fuge to house cheato and pods and a 4" sand bed. Also have about 250 lbs of macro rock seeded with about 50 lbs of live rock. All parameters were in check until about a week ago when I tried Adding some coral and 6 chromis. My nitrate are now at almost 40.
Ph 8.2
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Calcium 440
Phosphate (only have Api kit right now) -.25
Dkh 8
That's all I can test for right now also I have a dosing pump that I had bought to dose two part once corals got going but I am also thinking maybe I should start carbon dosing? I am determined to have an amazing reef tank and will not give up but need some real help. Thank you all for the wonderful knowledge.

Pg513 · Jun 20, 2016

Phosphates are pretty high. I would consider running some gfo via a reactor.

I'm guessing the reason for a spike in nitrates is the addition of six fish at once (assuming they were added simultaneously).

Perhaps a water change is in order. I'm still no expert by any means; just some thoughts.

jsker · Jun 20, 2016

What test kits are you using? Are you dosing? and what are you feeding?

Brett H whitt · Jun 20, 2016

I assume your rock was added at the same time you started the aquarium, which would be 9 mouths correct?
You said your parameter’s were in check a week ago, what were the nitrate and phosphate levels a week ago.
Am I correct is assuming that your refugium is not connected to your main display tank?

I ask because if your nitrate spikes to 40 in a week, then you either have a bad test kit or someone is dosing nitrate to your
display tank. I don’t think you could feed them enough food in a week to add that much nitrate.

If your refugium is connected to you display tank then the sand and rock from the refugium is probably causing your spike.

To lower nitrate naturally you can simply add chaeto to your sump and do a few water changes. It will take a couple months I would guess
but the chaeto algae work with a little time.

A phosphate reactor will do wanders for your phosphate levels. I would start out with ½ the recommended dose of GFO to slowly lower your
levels to 0.01 to 0.05. your corals might not appreciate a fast drop in your parameters.

talon · Jun 20, 2016

Yea the rock was added at the time I started the tank. The nitrates were at less than ten a little over a week ago. The refugium is connected I cut one of the overflows to flow water into it then it overflows into my main sump. I do have chaeto in it but like I said it's only about two weeks old so maybe it was the sand I put in it. It was live sand but it was a few months old so maybe that's my problem. I don't really have a exact number on the phosphate since it's just an api kit I just know it's less than .25. I am also not dosing anything at this time but do have a dosing pump. I have a mixture of Elos and Salifert test kits that are not expired but not new. I am due for a water change so I will do a large one and keep doing them weekly to try and lower it. Thanks